Hair curler



March 15, 1938. v CONKLIN 2,111,171

HAIR CURLER Filed April 20, 1937 2 I I v ATTONEY57 Patented Mar. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the art of hair dressing, and more particularly to devices for maintaining strands of hair in curl formation.

An object of the invention is to provide a hair curler which is structurally characterized to enable a strand of hair to be readily wound tightly thereon, and retained in the form of a tight curl from which thecurler can be'easily withdrawn when desired without disturbing the form of the curl, all in such manner that the curler can be worn while sleeping without discomfort to the head of the sleeper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hair curler which is entirely non-metallic and is preferably composed of a length 'of rubber tubing or other soft and yieldable material having similar properties, the tubing being structurally modified in an extremely simple and novel manner to form the hair curler embodying the invention.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed outin the appended claims. 7

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view of the hair curler in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but with the curler turned therefrom;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 and illustrating the manner in which the curler is initially manipulated in the application of a strand of hair thereto;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l, but with the curler turned therefrom; Figures 5 and 6 are views showing different folded positions occupied by the curler when retaining a strand of hair in curled formation;

Figure '7 is a constricting element embodied in the curler;

Figure 8 is an enlarged-transverse sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 5.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the hair curler embodying this invention comprises an elongated body B constructed of elastic rubber to form a tube Ill of suitable length and diameter, it being found in practice that a tubefive inches long and flve-sixteenths of an inch in diameter is satisfactory.

One end of the tube is-cut away or otherwise formed to provide a head I I connected at one end by a neck I! to the body portion of the tube so as to provide intermediate locking shoulders l8--i3. The head tapers to an approximate point at its free end so as to be substantially arrowshaped.

The opposite end of the tube is cut away through a portion of its diameter for a short distance along the length of the tube so that for this distance the tube is laterally open. Directly op-' posite this open side of the tube,'its wall is provided with an opening 14 through which the head Il,'when contracted laterally at its widest point, is adapted to be forced for co-action of the shoulders I 3l3 with the walls of the opening in releasabiy retaining the tube folded upon itself to provide two branches a and b and a connecting bight c, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

That portion of the tube providing the branch a is slit obliquely from its periphery towards the end of the tube having the head ll and at acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the tube as indicated at i5 so as to provide a clamping tongue or flap 16 which, in the bowed position of the tube shown in Figure 3, co-acts with the body portion 1 of the tube in defining a wedge-shaped recess ll adapted to receive a strand of hair during the operation of the invention, which is as follows:

Let it be assumed that the strand of hair to be formed into a curl has been combed out as desired, and that the strand is thus-ready to be applied to the tube iii. The tube is now suitably manipulated from its normal rectilinear form shown in Figure 2, to assume the bowed position shown in Figure 3, following which the free end of the strand of hair is inserted into the aforestated wedge-shaped recess l1 and the tube returned to its rectilinear form for operation of the tongue I6 in exerting clamping pressure upon the hair strand by tending to close the recess.

With the free end of the strand of hair thus secured to the tube, the latter is rotated to wind the strand thereon, the tongue I6 functioning to securely clamp the strand against displacement, and each succeeding convolution of the strand rendering the tongue more effective as will be evident from a consideration of Figure 8 which clearly illustrates that the portion of the strand between'the tongue and body portion of the tube is caused to be kinked and be subjected to a firm grip in order to positively prevent withdrawal of the strand, whereby to enable the strand to be tightly wound upon the tube to form a tight curl.

When thestrand has been completely wound upon the tube along the portion thereof which is to form the branch a, the tube is folded upon itself and the head ll forced through the opening it to releasably retain the tube in its folded position 55 shown in Figure 5, from which it will be noted that as a result of this folding of the tube, the tongue I5 is caused to increase its clamping pressure upon the free end of the hair strand in order to positively prevent loosening of the curl.

A constricting element in the form of an elastic rubber band or loop l8 can be applied to the folded tube over its bight 0 so as to more compactly hold the two branches a and b as is shown in Figure 6. When the curler is to be removed, the band I8 is first slipped from the tube and the 'head ll disengaged fromthe opening I 4 so as to permit the tube to assume its rectilinear form. The finished curl is grasped in one hand and the tube is withdrawn from the curl by pulling upon,

the tube in' a direction axially of the curl and towards the head I I as is intended to be indicated by its arrow shape.

By withdrawing the tube in this direction, the portion of the hair strand acted upon by the tongue It will shift towards the free end of the tongue and will disengage itself from beneath the tongue without disturbing the form of the curl.

Due to the tubular form and elasticity of the body B, the curler is comparatively soft and yieldable so that it can be worn when sleeping without discomfort to the head of the. sleeper. This feature and the surety with which the hair strand is clamped to the tube I 0 by the tongue I6 enable the much desired tight curls to be formed with the utmost convenience, all while affording the commercial advantages of structural simplicity and cheapness of manufacture.

What is claimed is:

1. A hair curler comprising an elongated flex- I ible-body having means for releasably retaining it in a position folded transversely upon itself to provide two branches adapted to support in our] formation, a strand of hair wound on one branch; and a longitudinally-extending tongue on said one branch adapted to clamp the free end portion of the hair strand to the body against displacement circumferentially thereof so as to enable the hair strand to be tightly wound upon the body to form a tight curl.

2. A hair curler comprising an elongated flexible body having means for releasably retaining it in a position folded transversely upon itself to provide two branches adapted to support in curl formation, a strand of hair wound on one branch; and means on said one branch co-acting therewith to define a wedge shaped recess extending longitudinally at an acute angle to the length of the body for the reception of the free end portion of the hair strand and the clamping thereof by said means so as to enable the strand to be tightly wound upon the body to form a tight curl.

3. A hair curler comprising an elongated flexible body having means for releasably retaining it in a position folded transversely upon itself to provide two branches adapted to support in curl formation, a strand of hair wound on.one branch; said one branch being slit obliquely from its periphery at an acute angle longitudinally of the body to provide a tongue thereon for clamping the free end portion of the hair strand to the body, whereby to enable the'hair strand to be tightly wound upon the body to form a tight curl.

4. A hair curler comprising an elongated body of flexible material having means to releasably retai'n it in a position folded transversely upon itself; the body being slit longitudinally from I its periphery to provide a tongue for clamping 'a strand of hair when wound on the body.

'5. A hair curler comprising a cylindrical tube- 

